Abbas on way to Washington for Bush meeting

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas headed to Washington today with a long list of demands for the US president, though privately Palestinian officials said they don’t expect much from George Bush and some even questioned the wisdom of making the trip at all.

In the end, the prestige of a White House invitation and the chance to air grievances outweighed the misgivings. The Palestinian leader, meeting Bush for the first time since being elected in January, is expected to seek assurances from him on curtailing Israeli settlement activity, progress on a Palestinian state and the meaning of Israel’s Gaza pullout this summer.